1 min read

Meetings are Murder

Meetings are Murder

Every session I run, in every organisation, inevitably turns to the meeting problem.

Our time is precious, and there’s more pressure than ever to use it well. Yet so many of us are stuck in a planning loop – all talk, and no action.

Less than 30% of meeting time is well spent, and unproductive meetings cost us more than money. We’re losing the capacity for deep thinking, and we’re squandering opportunities to bring people together.

Every time we sit through another workshop that goes nowhere, we get less engaged. Progress slows, change comes to a grinding halt and trust is corroded.

Meetings make me uncomfortable, and nothing annoys me more than a talkfest that could have been an email. Please, stop it. Consider a phone call, shared document, or even better - just make the decisions that are inside your delegation.

Every time you have an unnecessary back to back meeting, a butterfly dies.

I've written a longer article this week on how you can get your meetings under control, by asking six questions. Check it out here.

 

More like this

Pushing back.

1 min read

Pushing back.

Marie Kondo, in The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, talks about getting rid of everything in our lives that doesn’t ‘spark joy’. Clearing...

Money Isn’t Everything: How to Uncover False Constraints

2 min read

Money Isn’t Everything: How to Uncover False Constraints

What would you do if you won Lotto? I bet you know the answer to that question, and that you've had this conversation at least half a dozen times...

Go Back to Basics

1 min read

Go Back to Basics

I injured my ankle badly in November 2017, when I started training for my first marathon. After a tough uphill slog on a sunny Monday morning, I...

Truth is, I'm rash.

Truth is, I'm rash.

On Friday night, I went to a comedy gig in a large arena. I lasted less than 20 minutes before walking out in disgust and frustration, as the...

Disagreement Needs Dignity

Disagreement Needs Dignity

I had a positive social media experience this week (...I know right?!). Someone with a large public following had posted an open question about a...

Embrace awkwardness for better decisions

1 min read

Embrace awkwardness for better decisions

Good decisions need diversity. And I mean real diversity - age, background, gender, the whole lot. This is bad news for those who use the...